Nothing's As It Seems
by Smackalicious
Summary: Amy has a stalker...or does she? CHAPTER FOUR UP SEPTEMBER 1ST!
1. Chapter 1

**Title: Nothing's As It Seems  
Rating: PG-13  
Fandom: Judging Amy  
Paring: possibly none? I don't know yet. Otherwise, duh, Bruce/Amy.  
Series: Chapter 1 of a likely longish fic (because I can't resist)  
Summary: Amy discovers she has a stalker...or does she?  
Disclaimer: I don't own Judging Amy or Bruce or Amy or any of the characters from the show. They belong to CBS.  
Spoilers: None.  
Author's Notes: First time attempting a non-romance fic (though it will likely end up being that, you know me). No real time frame, just that Amy's still presiding.**

"What have we got in store today?" Amy asked Bruce as they walked the hallway to the courtroom.

He flipped open the docket. "Well, looks like an OTC hearing up next and then a case of a young man accused of lighting his principal's desk on fire."

Amy grimaced at the announcement of the second case. "God, what happened to the days of spit balls and swirlies?"

Bruce chuckled. "I'm sure that still happens plenty." They reached the courtroom and Bruce opened the door, allowing Amy to enter in front of him.

Amy sat down and surveyed the group of people in front of her - two lawyers, one for either side, and a few family members. It was always good to take in facial expressions before the hearing got started, to see reactions to being in a courtroom and reactions to the hearing at hand. This particular crowd seemed well-adjusted - a good sign.

"Are we ready to begin?" Amy asked, looking up from the files in front of her.

"Your Honor, I would implore the Court to reconsider the complaint put before Her," the defense atorney said, standing and adjusting his tie.

"Uh, Mr..."

"Harris. Johnathon Harris."

Amy straightened her files, giving Bruce an amused look. "Well, Mr. Harris, first we like to hear complaints before we make any kind of judgment."

"Of course, Your Honor," he said, once again straightening his tie.

"Alright then," Amy said, trying to keep the smirk off her face. Bruce was hiding a smirk of his own behind his hand, and Amy made a mental note to chastise him once they were back in her chambers.

The proceedings of the case went on uneventfully, with just the occasional stutterings or slip-ups by Mr. Harris, who was new at the lawyering act. Amy ruled in favor of the defendant (much to Mr. Harris' relief), and court was called to recess.

Amy stood from her chair and Bruce followed her out the door, holding it open until they were both out of the courtroom. Once outside, Amy good-naturedly lit into Bruce.

"You weasel," she said, poking a finger into his chest, a smirk on her face.

"What?" he asked, laughing. "There's no rule that says I have to remain unbiased. It was funny!"

"But that doesn't mean you can distract me from doing my job," Amy said, and they started walking to her chambers. "God, I thought he was going to end up strangling himself with that tie." They both started laughing at that comment, but their laughter soon died down as they approached Amy's chambers.

The door was ajar, and the window was cracked down the middle, ending in a jagged line just before the sill. Bruce stepped forward, holding his hand back to keep Amy from coming any closer, and cautiously crept closer to the open door, checking to see if anyone was still inside the office.

Amy stood there nervously, craning her neck to see what was going on. She'd had threats made against her before, but no one had ever vandalized her chambers before.

Bruce quickly stepped back out, nodding to her that the coast was clear.

She stepped forward gingerly, as if scared that she made any noises, the culprit would bound out of the shadows and snatch her on the spot. Once she entered her chambers, Bruce closed the door and then headed to her desk, picking up the phone to call security.

Amy stood looking out the violated door, wondering what could possess someone to do such a thing to her chambers. Had she pissed someone off more than usual lately?

Bruce hung up the phone, offering a brief, "Thanks," to the person on the other end. He spoke to Amy's back. "Security's on their way up here. There's going to be a guard tailing you for the rest of the day to make sure whoever did this doesn't come after you specifically."

"Great," Amy said, walking to her desk. "Just what I need. Some burly security guard drawing extra attention to me."

"Would you rather end up dead?" Bruce asked, wiggling his head back and forth. "Because that's a very real possibility of what could happen if you don't have someone to watch your back."

"Well, I don't really want someone literally breathing down my neck all day," she said. "I like a little bit of space."

Bruce sighed. "Listen, you can't just go back out there with this," he pointed to the door, "having happened. I can tell the security guard to scram and I'll keep an eye on you all day. How's that sound?"

Amy smirked. "Better. I just hope you're not going to follow me into the ladies' room, too."

Bruce put a hand over his heart, feigning hurt. "Oh, but isn't that part of the job?" He grinned, and Amy rolled her eyes, smiling herself. Bruce was just happy that he had gotten her to temporarily ease her worry over the situation - the last thing she needed to do was freak out about it. That would just cause more problems.

A knock sounded at the door. Amy's smile fell, and she looked to Bruce, worried.

"I'm sure it's just the security guard," he said, and moved forward to answer the door. "Stay there."

"Who's there?" he asked as he approached the door.

"It's security," the voice on the other side announced. Bruce opened the door to admit the uniformed officer, who entered with a stern look on his face. He turned to Amy. "I've heard you're having some problems up here, Judge Gray?"

She nodded, pointing to the door. "Yeah, someone broke in here and vandalized the door. I have no idea who it could've been."

The guard surveyed the damage and turned back to Amy. "I'll follow you throughout the courthouse for the rest of the day, then when you leave, I can follow you home."

"Actually, I don't need..."

"I've offered to keep an eye out for any unusual activity," Bruce interrupted. "We're together most of the day, anyway, so it's no big deal."

"Are you sure you..." the guard started.

"It's no big deal," Bruce repeated. "I can handle everything."

"Alright, but if you do happen to need anything, Mr. Van Exel, you know where to call."

"Thanks a lot," Bruce said, ushering the guard out again. He turned back to Amy, who still looked worried. "You gonna be okay? Need me to back up some cases?"

Amy shook her head. "No, no, I'll be fine."

Bruce nodded abruptly. "Alright, let's go." He followed her out of her chambers and back to the courtroom, scanning the hall the entire time.

Twenty minutes later, they were exiting again, nothing having hindered the case.

Bruce and Amy entered her chambers, Amy breathing out a sigh of relief as they did so.

"Thank God that's over," she said, taking off her robe and placing it in the closet. "In the meantime, I have to take a bathroom break. Time for your real security to begin."

Bruce smirked at her and opened the door for her as they headed for the bathroom down the hall. Amy entered and Bruce stood just outside, waiting and watching for intruders.

Amy flushed inside and washed her hands before heading back out. "Alright, no stalkers here," she said as she exited.

Her smile died, however, when she looked around the hall and Bruce was nowhere to be seen.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Yes, Security? This is Judge Gray.Yes, I'm still having problems. No, I haven't been attacked. My CSO, Bruce Van Exel, has gone missing. Yes, I'm sure he's missing. I was in the ladies' room and when I came out, he was gone. No, he wouldn't have just left! He was supposed to be keeping an eye out for any strange activity! Look, can you send someone from Security down here? I'm concerned for Br-Mr. Van Exel's safety and for my own. Thank you."

She hung up the phone and began pacing her office. Was this vandal really after Bruce? What had Bruce ever done to upset anyone? He was one of the most even-tempered people she had ever met. Unless...

Amy's hand flew to her mouth in realization. "Oh my God," she muttered, and at that moment, someone knocked at the door.

She could feel her heart beating in overtime as she called out, "I've called Security."

"This is Security, Judge Gray," a voice sounded.

Amy let out the breath she was holding and rushed to the door, unlocking it and allowing the same security guard as earlier to enter. "My CSO, Bruce Van Exel..."

"We know, Judge Gray," the guard shushed her. "We've got a crew out searching for him. Now, I need you to remain calm and answer a few questions." Amy nodded. "Did you hear anything out of the ordinary while you were in the bathroom?"

Amy thought for a moment. "No. No, the bathrooms are kinda echoey, so I couldn't hear anything outside the room."

The guard continued to ask her questions as her mind wandered to where Bruce was, if he was hurt, and why this attacker had chose to target him, taking the one person outside her family that meant the most to her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Bruce glared up at the man who had abducted him. He would have told him off, but his abductor had slapped a piece of duct tape over his mouth, literally rendering him speechless.

The abductor had taken him to an abandoned room in the basement of the courthouse – a gutsy move, since once Amy discovered Bruce missing, she would surely call security and they'd be all over the place searching for her.

The light flickered off as the abductor crept back to Bruce's side.

"You know why you're here, Mr. Van Exel?" he asked Bruce, then laughed. "Oh, right. You can't talk at the moment. Well, let me elaborate. I've seen you and that pretty lady judge, Amy, I believe her name is. You can't tell me your relationship with her is strictly professional. I've seen the way you two look at each other, how you put your hand on the small of her back when you're walking through the halls." Bruce continued to glare at the man, even though neither one of them could see the other in the dark room. "And since she took something important from me, I'm going to do the same to her."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Amy sat at her desk, tapping her fingers on the surface. The security guard glanced back at her from where he was standing by the door. "I should be out there, helping look for Bruce. I'm not doing anyone any good by sitting here."

"Judge Gray, if this guy really is after you, here is the best place you can be. We'll find Mr. Van Exel." He turned back to the door adn Amy slumped back in her chair, feeling defeated and helpless.

It was one of those situations where she didn't realize how much Bruce meant to her until he was gone. She shook her head. She took him for granted, she realized that. She just expected him to be there, whether it was sitting beside her in the courtroom, filing her docket and giving her advice, even when she didn't ask for it, or when she was suffering from some personal crisis, a break-up, an illness in the family, or just when she needed to vent. He was always there for her, without asking for anything in return.

Amy suddenly stood from her desk. "I can't just sit here," she announced.

The guard turned to face her again. "Judge Gray, we have the most experienced security team..."

"I know," Amy said, "and I have the utmost faith in all of you. But this is something I need to do out of a personal conviction."

The security guard sighed. "Alright, but you're not going unattended."

Amy smiled smugly. "I wouldn't expect you'd let me." She walked to the door, and the guard led them through the hallway, keeping a watchful eye out for any unusual activity.

As they were walking, the guard's radio suddenly buzzed at him, announcing someone was trying to contact him. He quickly removed the radio from his belt loop and pressed the power button. "What's going on?" he demanded.

"We've got some unusually dark rooms down in the basement," the voice on the other end announced. Amy's eyes widened. "We're gonna check 'em out."

"Alright, thanks for the update." He turned the radio off again and shoved it back in its holder before turning back to Amy, who still had the look of a deer in the headlights.

"Let's go," she said, heading toward the elevators.

"Judge Gray, there's a right way to go about this," the guard insisted, jogging to catch up to her. "We can't just burst in down there. This guy may be armed. We don't need to put your CSO in any more danger than he's already in."

"Well, I'm not just gonna be calm about this whole thing," Amy insisted. "Whoever this mentally deranged person is, he's got Bruce, and I'm not going to stand idly by and watch 'my CSO' get killed."

"We understand, Judge Gray," the guard attempted to soothe her again, while she continued to impatiently wait for the elevator to arrive. "We're not expecting you to act like none of this even happened. We just think it's better if you let us do our jobs and you do yours."

"Which is what?" Amy asked, frustrated. "Sitting around waiting for something to happen? I can tell you right now that I didn't get my job here by sitting on my ass. And that's not how I'm going to handle this. Besides, I should be safe, right? You're going to be there the entire time. So what's the problem?"

The elevator finally arrived and Amy walked in, turning and waiting for the guard to join her in the car. He did so with a sigh, and they rode down to the basement, Bruce's fate the thought on both their minds.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I'm SO sorry about the delay in this. Hopefully there's still some interest. I'll try to update more regularly now.**

* * *

When the elevator landed at the basement floor, the guard signalled for Amy to be quiet as he shut off the bell that would ding to announce their arrival. The doors slid open, and they stepped out, quietly walking towards the guard standing at the end of the hallway.

As they reached the other guard, a noise suddenly sounded from inside a room at the opposite end of the hall. Amy froze in her tracks, mind signalling danger. She flipped around, wanting to just run down there and burst into the room, give this guy a piece of her mind, but she knew the guards she was with would have nothing of the sort happen. So she stood there, figuring she probably looked like an idiot, hunched slightly, ready to pounce if even one squeak issued from the other end of the hallway.

The guard accompanying her turned to her. "Stay here," he ordered, as he and the other guard crept to the noise.

She loosened her stance somewhat, but still kept an ear cocked for anything unusual. God only knows what was going on down there, what this captor was doing to Bruce...

A loud crack distracted her from her thoughts, and she popped her head up to the sound. The guards had kicked open a door and were currently yelling for someone to put their hands up. She felt the need to run down there again, but thought better of it and remained in her spot, wringing her hands.

Painful minutes later, the guards exited the room, hauling a man Amy recognized as having been in her courtroom earlier that week. She had taken custody of his two sons from him, and when she saw him, she realized this must have been his way of seeking revenge on her.

The guard who had accompanied her down to the basement shoved the perp into the other guard, then walked back towards Amy, who was coming down the hall, her face crazy with worry.

"Where is he? How is he? I have to see him." She attempted to push past him and into the room, but the guard held her back.

"He's fine, Judge Gray," he replied, still holding a hand out to bar her from going into the room.

"Then why won't you let me in there?" she asked, getting more frantic by the minute.

The guard lowered his voice. "I think you need to calm down a bit. You don't want Mr. Van Exel thinking this is more serious than it actually is."

Amy gave him an incredulous look. "Are you suggesting this isn't a serious situation? That man just _kidnapped _my CSO. Forgive me if I'm a little worked up over that."

He sighed. "Will you at least try to keep the worrying to a minimum?"

She glared at him. "Of course. Now can I see my CSO?"

He stepped aside, and Amy started forward, then paused, realizing what she was going into. There was a chance Bruce would be upset with her – after all, none of this would have happened had he been working with a different judge. She sighed to herself. He wouldn't do that. She knew him. It just wasn't something he would do.

"Judge Gray?"

Amy snapped out of her thoughts, glancing at the guard.

"You want me to go in with you?"

She shook her head. "No, no, I think I'm good."

He looked at her doubtfully. "I'll stay right out here, keep watch."

Amy rolled her eyes, then figured it wouldn't do any good to argue with him, and pushed her way into the room.

It was dark, the only light being a sliver of sunlight through a small window near the ceiling. Bruce moved slightly, and Amy walked forward, announcing her presence. "Hey," she said softly, not wanting to startle him. "You okay?"

He cleared his throat. "Yeah, I ... He didn't do anything. All talk."

Amy remained standing behind him, not wanting to see the look on his face. "Yeah, so I heard." She paused, considering her next words. "I'm sorry. I should have known..."

Bruce suddenly turned in his chair, and Amy could see the outline of his face in the dim light, all retribution. "No. There was no possible way you could have known what this guy was thinking."

"He broke into my chambers, Bruce!" Amy spouted, and the guard poked his head in. She shooed him away and lowered her voice, squatting down so she could look Bruce in the face. "I'm a judge. The bad guys like to go after judges. I knew that. And yet, I was stupid enough to think I didn't need guarding. I never thought..."

"Exactly," Bruce broke in. "You never thought I was in danger. So would you let yourself off the hook already? It's not like he hurt me."

"But he could have, Bruce!" Amy looked up at him in desperation. "I don't know what I would have done had that happened." She looked down again, feeling like she had revealed too much.

"Hey," he chided, sliding from the chair and joining her in squatting. "If he woulda tried anything to me, or you, you can guarantee he'd be the one who was hurting. I've got a pretty mean left hook."

Amy raised her eyes to his face, the sunlight glinting off his teeth showing her his smile. She smiled slightly. "I can imagine."

He reached forward and brushed a strand of hair from her face. "Are you gonna be alright?"

She looked at him again, noticing that he wasn't holding back, he was allowing himself to show he cared, in the courthouse basement, with a guard standing right outside. She smiled at the thought. "Yeah, I think so."

Bruce nodded. "Good." He placed his hands on his thighs and rose, reaching down to help her up.

When she stood, she gave into the temptation and leaned into him, resting her head on his chest. "I'm serious, Bruce. I don't know what I would have..."

"Shh," he said, brushing a hand through her hair. "I know. Don't think about it. Everything's fine. It's over."

Amy looked up from his chest, nodding. "You're right. Let's get back to work." She turned to leave, but Bruce remained standing where he was. She stopped and looked back at him once she reached the door. "Are you coming?"

He sighed. "Ju- Amy, there's something you need to know."

Amy immediately grew worried. He wouldn't call her Amy for no reason. "What? What is it? Did he do something to you? I knew you were being quiet for a reason."

He shook his head, and she stepped back into the space of the room. "His reason for abducting me..."

"What? What did he say?"

Bruce quieted her with a wave of his hand. "He said ... since you took someone important from him, he was going to take someone important from you."

Amy reeled back in surprise. "How would he know what our relationship is? You're my CSO."

Bruce looked at the ground and laughed a little. "He said he saw how we walked through the courthouse together. Like there was something more going on." He looked back up at her, trying to gauge her reaction. She was simply giving him a concerned stare. "I couldn't deny anything, because he had taped my mouth shut. And let me tell you, that was not the most comfortable I've been in my life." He laughed again, this time to simply fill the silence, and glanced back at Amy, waiting for her response.

She was shaking her head. She knew he was just trying to avoid talking about it, but after what had happened, she needed to hear him say it, admit to what was really going on. She looked up at him. "Bruce, I don't want you to deny . . ."

"I'm not denying anything," Bruce interrupted her, his thumb moving slowly along her jawline. He motioned with his head towards the door and the guard standing beyond it. "Just . . . it's not the right place."

Amy gulped, nodding in agreement, though all she wanted to do was scream at him that love didn't have a right place, it just happened. She settled for a questioning, "So . . .?"

"Tonight," he responded, nodding back. "After work. Give me some time to find someone to look after Rebecca, and then we can talk." His thumb continued its mindless path across Amy's face. "I promise." He turned and looked at the hallway, where the guard was gazing around, looking bored. "Are you ready to go back to work?"

"Yeah, I think I'm good now," Amy responded, and Bruce removed his hand from her face. She gave an involuntary grimace at the loss of contact, but managed to hide it. If she had kept her feelings in control this long, another few hours wouldn't matter much. They couldn't. She just had to keep her head on straight, do these last few cases of the day, and then she could worry all she wanted about Bruce.

"Amy." The sound of her name forced her to look at Bruce again. He was giving her a small smile. "I'm ready. Are you?"

She paused. She knew he was just referring to going back to the courtroom, but she couldn't help but think about the implications of this conversation they were to have. Their relationship was about to change forever, and she had to be ready for it.

Finally, she nodded. "Yes. Let's go."

He squeezed her hand, and then led her from the room, his hand residing on the small of her back, just as always.


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: Yeah, as my good friend Lauren pointed out, this is turning out to be perhaps just a little bit of a shippy fic. Oh well. ;) _

* * *

"Well, then, Mr. Turner, it looks as if you'll have to study that manual a bit harder. Sentencing the defendant to six months in a juvenile detention facility. We're dismissed."

Amy turned in her chair as the parties filed from the courtroom, watching Bruce make some notes in the docket. That had been the last case of the day, and it was now only a matter of hours before they had their talk.

He finished up writing and stood, giving Amy a look. She stood, as well, and they exited the courtroom, heading for her chambers.

Amy entered first, walking quickly to her desk, discarding her robe on the way. Bruce closed the door, and when he turned to face Amy, she was standing awkwardly on the opposite side of her desk.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Amy. Relax. It's just me." He started laughing and walked toward her.

"Oh, I know," she said, frustrated with herself. "I'm just . . . This is gonna change things majorly, Bruce. Don't act like it won't."

"Hey, neither one of us has said anything yet," he said softly, closing the distance between them. "And I don't want to say anything until later, when we're in the right place . . ."

Amy couldn't help it. She let out a groan. "You and your damn planning."

He laughed at her antics. "One of us has to be practical." She stuck her tongue out at him. "Oh, that's real mature for a judge."

She started laughing despite herself. "Go. Before something comes up. I want to get this over with."

"Wow, with that attitude, I'm so excited," Bruce said dryly.

Amy rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean." She paused, and when she spoke, her voice had taken on a softer, huskier tone. "I'm really looking forward to this, Bruce. And I don't want to mess things up."

He nodded briefly. "Neither do I. Which is why I want to do this right." He let out a breath, turning to look at the door, then back at Amy. "I should go. I'll call you when everything's ready."

He turned to leave, but Amy stopped him. "Wait!" He faced her again, and she almost melted from the look on his face. "I, uh, am I meeting you?"

"I'll pick you up," he said, then turned away again, opening the door and leaving before Amy could get any further questions out.

As the door shut behind Bruce, Amy sank down into her desk chair, trying to calm the trembles coursing through her body. There was just something about him that made her lose all her rationale, even moreso than with most guys she found herself all googly-eyed over. She was sure part of it was their unwavering friendship – even when things got tough and they barked arguements at each other, they always came back together in the end, and that was something she hadn't found too often in her life. And he respected her. That alone sent shivers down her spine. They were so very different, but those differences balanced each other out, leaving them with a relationship that was as stabilized as it was chaotic.

She splayed her hands out on her desk, contemplating the evening ahead. She needed to get home and change before they went out, but first, she needed to get a hold of herself. She couldn't drive if she were shaking, because she'd probably end up driving into a fire hydrant or parked car or random pedestrian somewhere.

"Deep breaths, Amy," she ordered herself, closing her eyes. "It's just Bruce. You shouldn't be freaking out like this. It's not like he's asking you to marry him." Her eyes flew open. "Oh my God, I didn't even think of that. I mean, he's _not _going to propose, because he's Bruce and Bruce just wouldn't do that." She let out a sigh. "Great. Now I'm talking to myself. I sound like Donna."

She stood and organized some papers on her desk before grabbing a handful of files to take home and heading for the door. Just as she opened the door, Donna's smiling face was suddenly in front of her. Speak of the devil, right?

"Judge Gray!" Donna exclaimed, stepping backwards.

"Donna," Amy said, with less excitement than Donna seemed to have. She needed to get rid of her quickly, or else she'd never get home. She stepped out into the hallway and closed the door to her chambers, asking as she locked the door, "What's up?"

"Well . . . you're on your way out, I'll catch you another time." Donna turned to leave.

Amy sighed. As much as she wanted to let Donna just walk away, she figured she should let her talk. "Wait." Donna turned back to Amy. "I suppose I can spare a few minutes. But only a few." She unlocked her chambers.

"Ooh, got a hot date?" Donna asked as they stepped inside.

Amy tried to hide the smile on her face, but failed. "Sorta."

"Juicy," Donna said, eyes sparkling. "Who's it with?"

Amy looked off dreamily, then shook her head. This was _not _a date. Her and Bruce were just talking. That was it. And besides, she couldn't tell Donna, of all people. The entire courthouse would know by the next morning if she told her. "Uh, what was it that you wanted to ask me?"

Donna shrugged. "Oh, I just wanted to know if you could watch Ariadne this weekend, that's all." She sat down on the couch and began flipping through files.

Amy directed a look at Donna's tilted head. "Like, the entire weekend? Donna, I am way too busy to do that. I'm sorry."

Donna shrugged. "Fine. I guess I could just ask Bruce . . ." She looked at Amy, waiting for her to give away her secret.

Amy remained steadfast. "Go ahead. I'm sure he's not nearly as busy as I am."

Donna narrowed her eyes at her. "You sure about that? Because rumor is he's gonna be tied up this weekend." She nodded her head slowly, looking entirely like she had been watching too many spy movies.

Amy gave in. "Donna, what do you want me to tell you? That Bruce and I are going off for some romantic escapade where we're going to have sex like bunnies and never think once of life in Hartford again?" She gave Donna a panicked look.

Donna reeled back. "Whoa, I had no idea, Judge Gray! Is that really what you have planned for this weekend? I just heard Bruce was doing some basketball tournament." She chuckled mysteriously. "I always knew you and Bruce were doing some overtime, if you know what I mean."

Amy glared at her. "Donna?"

She backed up at the death look. "Yes?"

"Out. Now." Amy pointed to the door.

"Okay," Donna replied meekly, standing and walking to the door. She suddenly turned back to Amy. "So is that really what you're doing this weekend?"

"Now!"

Donna grumbled to herself and exited Amy's chambers, and Amy remained standing, even more riled up than before.

"You know what?" she said to herself, stuffing files into the crook of her arm angrily. "I'm just going to go home right now. Tonight will make everything all better."

She smiled to herself at the thought, and exited her chambers, slamming the door behind her. As she did so, she heard a tinkling crash, and closed her eyes in frustration, knowing exactly what had happened.

When she turned to face the door, the window had indeed shattered, leaving shards of broken glass sprinkled on the floor at her feet.

She looked up to the ceiling. "Why me?"


End file.
